General News
13 November, 2025
Roy's Round Up - November 11, 2025
G’day folks, parliament returns for the first of two consecutive sitting weeks, most likely the last for the year. It should be a busy couple of weeks as the government gets through its final pieces of legislation for the year.
Mayors from Barwon meet with the Premier
In the October sitting period I asked the premier during question time whether he would be prepared to receive a delegation of representatives from Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, and Walgett Shire Councils to discuss expediting diversionary programs and solutions to reducing youth crime. In his answer he said he would “receive that delegation happily” and he hoped that I would be there. The meeting took place on October 28. It also included police commissioner Mal Lanyon. Discussion focused on the need for greater accountability and collaboration in the delivery of youth programs. We also need a shift toward community-led approaches, recognising that local leaders are best placed to understand what works in their towns.
There was general agreement that one-size-fits-all strategies are largely ineffective, and that a better approach is to acknowledge the unique challenges and contexts of each Barwon community to tailor an appropriate solution. I want to thank the premier for agreeing to meet the delegation. I am reassured by his support, along with that of the police commissioner and attorney general Michael Daley, for this more reasoned approach to finding long-term solutions to what is a complex problem.
Call for Artists to Exhibit in Parliament
Art plays such an important role in promoting the best of Barwon and showing that there is more artistic talent out west than some people might realise. I am always pleased to showcase the artworks by Barwon artists in my office, and whenever other members of parliament visit the electorate, they are impressed by the art galleries and public artworks in unexpected places.
It happens that the NSW Parliament has a great public space where art can be displayed. When people walk through the Fountain Court, they will see artworks from around the state on display. These are exhibitions of works by art organisations in various electorates, hosted by the local member of parliament.
So, I am putting out the call to all of the art communities, groups and organisations across Barwon to show us what you’ve got. The artworks must have significance to Barwon or NSW, and they must be hosted by a member of parliament, but there is no fee to exhibit in this amazing space. To find out more, go to the NSW Parliament website.
Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety
Part of my last two weeks has been taken up with hearings for the Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety, known as the ‘Staysafe Committee’, of which I am a member.
We have been conducting an inquiry into interventions to reduce road trauma in regional NSW caused by speeding, fatigue, drink and drug-affected driving.
The committee is looking into:
The research and data collected on the factors, characteristics, and demographics of road crashes specific to regional NSW.
Effectiveness of current strategies and programs to reduce speeding, fatigue, drink and drug driving in regional NSW
Proposed measures to reduce road trauma in regional NSW
Implementation of relevant recommendations from the 2023 Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General, entitled ‘Regional Road Safety’, dated November 30, 2023, and;
Any other related matters.
It will be interesting to see what comes of this inquiry. I will be reporting on the findings when the committee releases its report.
The timing of this inquiry has coincided with the federal government’s Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) to reduce the open road default speed limit from 100km/h.
For many of us in Barwon who have to travel hundreds, sometimes thousands of kilometres along open roads, this proposal will only extend our time on the road.
I do not agree with this approach. Rather than lowering the speed limit, we need better and safer roads. Lowering speed limits because the roads need work is a cop out.
The statistics include Wollongong and Newcastle as regional areas, so they don’t accurately reflect the lower incident rates we see on our rural and remote roads, especially unsealed roads.
Movember Begins
We are now well into Movember, and my moustache is already well underway. It is never too late to join Team Barwon, to help raise money for men’s health and to raise awareness of the fact that, on average, men die much younger than women from some preventable diseases, a problem that is compounded in regional areas.
I will keep you updated on my Mo-gress on my Facebook and Instagram pages, and I will also report back here. If you feel the urge to grow or to give, go to [https://au.movember.com/team/2457418](https://au.movember.com/team/2457418)
