The Murray Darling Basin Plan in its current form is not working. GARY PAPPIN plans to advocate for change.

-GARY PAPPIN supports Helen Dalton's 7 point plan for water reform.

-Federal government should be encouraging best practice watering techniques to minimise water wastage and reduce on-farm costs.

-Incentives should be given to farmers so they can upgrade to modern water infrastructure.

-Foreign ownership of water shares should be limited.

-Water buybacks must be capped per district/waterway.

-Environmental flows need to be released at environmentally friendly times, not at the needs of irrigators.

-Cultural waterflows should be managed by First Nations peoples, not government departments.

Adequate communication infrastructure, or lack thereof, is a major issue for the majority of the Farrer electorate. 

-Every township should have a mobile phone tower upgraded to 5G with expanded range in remote areas. As someone who has limited reception himself GARY PAPPIN knows the importance of a working telecommunications system.

-National and State highways should have phone coverage across the entire route so no one is endangered in a breakdown.

-Emergency Services must have connection at all times, regardless of the service provider.

-NBN should be rolled out to regional areas. Wireless is not reliable enough.

-There needs to be more stringent measures on online access for children. We need to protect our children online and support parents and guardians to keep their children safe online.

-The postal service needs to be modified so that letters and packages arrive in a timely manner and do not get re-routed around the country.

Energy is a burgeoning industry. As the world develops energy usage is increasing at an alarming rate. Australia needs to be prepared for the future.

-GARY PAPPIN does not advocate building nuclear power plants in Farrer.

-Feasibility for growth of Australian oil refineries should be investigated.

-The southwest REZ must provide tangible benefits to the local residents in the zone. Billions of dollars are being spent but very little has been allocated for community benefit.

-Energy companies and contractors should be encouraging local employment and community development rather than a drive-in drive-out workforce which brings limited benefit to Farrer.

-Funding is needed for research in how to use wind turbines and solar panels post-decommissioning.

-Landlords should be given incentives to install solar panels on rental properties.

-Government energy rebates should be allocated as a percentage of the residential power bill, not a paltry fixed amount.

Farrer has some of Australia's rarest biozones and some of the most unique environments in the world. A whole-of-government approach is needed to protect the environment in conjunction with sustainable agriculture and development.

-Best-practice agriculture should be encouraged to reduce environmental impacts. Federal funding applications need to be simplified for small business.

-More needs to be done to eradicate feral pest species. There is little or no land management over large regions and costs are prohibitive. There should be federal assistance to primary producers to help control noxious species.

-Persistent and bio-accumulative materials should be phased-out to prevent the release of hazardous chemicals and materials into the environment.

-Rebates should be given for environmentally sustainable solutions. For example, low-emission fertiliser should be available at low-cost to primary producers.  

-Key species like cod and koalas should be re-introduced in key locations to improve ecosystem health.

 

 

Biosecurity is the protection of Australian native vegetation and agricultural products from the entry, establishment and spread of pests, diseases and weeds. It is essential that there is home grown food security on our farms.

-A pest or disease outbreak needs a fast, coordinated response. A biosecurity taskforce should be stood up as part of our emergency management response.

-Further research is needed before the release of genetically-modified organisms into our environment. In particular, there needs to be investigation into mass fish kills and the consequences on the waterways of carp bio-eradication.

-There needs to be mandatory clear and obvious labelling of all foods containing genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

-Stringent import conditions and border control needs to be maintained to prevent biosecurity outbreaks.

-National Action Plans for biosecurity need to be sanctioned and implemented as soon as practicable.

A thriving tourism industry is crucial to our economic prosperity. Farrer's tourism sector is prosperous and highly valued.

-Funding should be available to diversify tourism markets and infrastructure to increase resilience and reliability of tourism services.

-The success of events like the World Bowls Championships in Barham and the NSW PGA Golf Open in Murray Downs show that communities in Farrer have the capacity to host world-class events. This should be encouraged and supported at a National level.

-A Keeping Place should be funded for Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area.  This will educate tourists and protect Australia's oldest history.

-Deniliquin airport needs to be upgraded to support domestic flights. A Master Plan and Airport Environment Strategy should be developed.

-There should be a government-supported initiative to ensure regional flights are more affordable and reliable, so our community can stay connected. Regional residents with chronic or specialist needs should have access to discounted or subsidised travel.

Local Government is often held at arms-length from Federal politics. However, Federal parliament has a strong influence on what services Local Governments can provide to their constituents.

-Many councils struggle to deliver essential services with inadequate funding. The share of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) allocated to LGAs needs to be increased to 2% so local governments can operate sustainably.

-Regional and remote residents in Farrer do not have the same access to services that urban communities have. The Federal Government needs to act proactively to ensure all Australians have access to clean drinking water and working sewerage.

-Cross-border emergency management needs to be strengthened to include consistent support for evacuation centres and displaced citizens outside of declared disaster areas.

-LGAs with disproportionate kilometres of roads and heavy vehicle usage required increased funding for maintenance. This will in turn save vehicle operating costs on better-maintained roads and free up council budgets for essential services.

The Federal Parliament has an important role to play in the global sphere. World politics are more unpredictable than at any time in recent memory. 

-Repeat offenders and petty criminals should be given the option of National Service in lieu of jail time. This would free up jails for serious criminals and bolster our Armed Services as well as providing offenders a life away from poverty and disadvantage.

-Visa holders who are convicted of a crime should be automatically deported and not be allowed to return to Australia. They should not be paroled into society.

-There is no place for violent extremism, radicalism and terrorism in Australia. We should strengthen relationships with domestic and international partners and communities to counter extremism and identify and disrupt radicalisation.

-Non-Australian born citizens who are convicted of terrorism crimes should have their Australian citizenship revoked.

-The role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security must be recognised and respected by all nations.

-GARY PAPPIN recognises the right of civilians to be protected from the dangers of war, as well as receive the help they need. Australia should not engage in wars of other countries, but we should provide peacekeeping and medical assistance to those countries who ask.

Australians are global citizens and we have a role to play in maintaining that citizenship.

-There needs to be an immigration policy that is in the interests of Australians and that puts Australian values at the centre of that policy.

-The Skilled Occupation List needs to be reviewed to ensure the right people are working in Australia and that Australian workers are not unfairly missing out on jobs. Skilled migration programs should not substitute for quality training or undermine wages and conditions in Australia.

-Australia should investigate options for visa-free overseas travel.

-Access to bigger export markets and better trade opportunities to advance regional businesses.

 

Parliament should serve the best interest of all Australians, not just those who can afford to buy influence. GARY PAPPIN intends to challenge laws and propose reforms that work against the public interest.

-There should be a cap on spending on political campaigns to make it fairer for all candidates and prevent big business from pulling the strings. 

-Political donations should be limited for not-for-profit organisations and banned for charities.

-There should be a strengthening of fiscal rules and monitoring of fiscal policy to prevent unsustainable national debt.

-Royal Commissions are costly exercises and should only established in rare and exceptional circumstances.

-Family law needs to be reformed so that courts prioritise child safety above all else.

-State Acts that are in contradiction with Federal Acts must be reformed to remove inconsistencies.

 

Even though health is constitutionally a State matter, the Federal government wields enormous influence on health issues.

-Basic GP appointments should be bulk-billed for all Australians with a medicare card regardless of age.

-GARY PAPPIN recommends establishing a new local health district in Griffith and the western Riverina. Services are not good enough.

-The Albury region deserves a hospital that delivers high-quality care and is built to support future community needs. Local medical professionals are best placed to understand the health needs at Albury Hospital, not Government officials. GARY PAPPIN fully supports the doctors and nurses of the Border Medical Association. 

-There should be equity in access to radiography and medical imagery. Patients in border communities should not be out of pocket hundreds of dollars for MRI, X-ray and CT scans which are bulk-billed in NSW local health district hospitals.

-Doctors and medical clinics in Farrer should be incentivised based on remoteness of location, not on per-visit patient numbers.

-The NDIS needs a thorough review to prevent fraud and ensure funding goes to those in genuine need. It should return to its original purpose of providing reasonable and necessary support.

-There should be more support available for returned veterans and defence peacekeepers including increased support for the work of ex-service organisations.

-There should be more investment in cutting-edge medical research to drive treatment breakthroughs and advancements for Australians.

GARY PAPPIN places a high value on education. Every Australian deserves the opportunity to be well educated.

-Teachers in border communities should have their interstate registrations recognised and not have to pay a second registration.

-Teachers should not be disadvantaged when working in NSW. Principals in border communities should be provided allowances on a case-by-case basis to match salary packaging and/or employment conditions for teaching staff comparable to neighbouring interstate schools.

-Rural teaching is undermined by the realities of insecure housing, limited mentorship, and isolation. Graduate teachers and regional schools should be provided with additional support to help them to stay connected in their communities.

-Every child in Farrer should have access to a free school bus service, even if their school is in VIC. Every school in Farrer should be able to provide a school bus service even if their students are in VIC.

-TAFE courses for critical skills should be fee-free for all Australians.

-There should be Apprentice and Trainee wage support to allow training in critical skills and additional support to small businesses to retain final year apprentices and trainees.

-Rural students who have to move away to university should be automatically classed as 'Independent' for Austudy purposes regardless of which university they choose to attend. 

-There should be a Country University Centre in both Barham and Moama.

-Childcare should be free in all rural communities.